A Rose Without Thorns
by Yamitron
Summary: Ryo is just a rose without thorns. Yang without Yin. Day without Night. He needs his Yami. Who is no where to be found. Ryo faces obstacles in his relationship with the ancient spirit. Chapter story, Tendershipping, BxR.
1. Chapter 1

**[[A/N:** This is my first chapter story, so apologies if it is slow to update.**]]**

Ryo pillowed his head in his palm as he stared blankly out the window. He took his pointer finger and doodled blindly on the condensation gathered on the cold panes. He was lost in thought; completely unaware of his surroundings. This made itself evident, as his attention was tugged at.

"Ry? Are you in there?" A hand was placed on his shoulder as Ryo jerked to abrupt consciousness. He shook his head quickly and his hand twitched.

"Hm? Oh! Hello, Yuugi, I appologise for zoning out there for a minute!" Ryo said, enthusiastically, smiling at the tri-coloured haired boy in front of him.

Concern flickered in Yuugi's eyes, as he looked hard at Ryo's. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, yes I'm fine." Ryo looked away from him, focusing on the napkin in front of him, playing with it.

"You're too perky, I can tell something's wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"

Ryo furrowed his brow and continued to avert his eyes. He mumbled, "Yes I suppose I should... but not here, okay?" He glanced quickly around the crowded cafeteria of Domino High, looking at their group of friends.

Joey was engaged in a duel against Téa at a table, and losing. Gathered around them was Tristan, hunching over Joey and mocking his every move, Kaiba, who was glaring at the proceedings with a quiet sense of superiority, and Ryo could see the shadowy apparition of The Pharaoh behind Téa, watching her playing with a stony expression. He half-heartedly searched for his own Yami, holding the ring and playing with it absent-mindedly. He knew his Yami would not be there, but he still searched.

"Sure thing, Ryo. Do you want to come to the Game Shop after school today?" Yuugi said, smiling at him.

Ryo directed his attention back to Yuugi and smiled softly at him. "That would be nice, if I may."

"No problem! You're welcome whenever you like, you know that." Yuugi smiled at him more widely. Ryo's smile reached his eyes as he stood and hugged the smaller boy.

"Thank you." He said, sitting back down. Yuugi beamed at him.

Movement in his periphery caught his eye and Ryo looked behind Yuugi, to see his Yami moving around Téa to come stand by him. Yuugi sensed a presence behind him, and turned to face his partner. He smiled at him and Yami Yuugi wrapped his arms around Yuugi and held him protectively. Even if he wasn't corporeal at the moment, it was still evident that he would protect and be there for his partner no matter what.

Ryo sighed and went back to looking out the window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The school bell rang signaling the end of classes. Ryo quietly and slowly gathered his belongings in a messenger bag slung across his body, and waited for his classmates to vacate the room. His face was glazed over; he tuned the world out. All he heard was his own breathing and heart beating against the cold metal he had tucked back under his shirt.

With every beat of his heart the metal seemed to grow colder, scorching him with coldness. The coldness he felt began to seep into his very chest, spreading through out his torso. It twirled around his heart and the organ skipped a beat.

Ryo closed his eyes and let the coldness spread further through him. He shuddered briefly, and reached a hand out blindly. The coldness spread to his arms and legs. Ryo felt as if he were drowning in ice water with only his head afloat, yet there was no wetness- only coldness and darkness.

The cold percolated into his head- trickling through to his mind. His arms and head began to tingle as he felt the last ounce of light and warmth vacate his body. His still outstretched arm shook slightly, and he felt a hand take his.

Ryo's sharp gasp brought him back to reality. His eyes wrenched open in thin hope, and quickly dimmed as he took in his surroundings. He stood alone in the classroom, his body temperature normal again. He sighed and shook his head briefly to clear his thoughts, and set off for the door.

Ryo's eyes were sad as he made his way to a locker where he kept his things, and gathered what he required for the weekend ahead. He placed his various books and possessions inside, and took what he needed. He shoved them into his bag, barely paying attention. Ryo grabbed the metal door of his small locker and looked at its contents. His fingers lightly brushed against the trading card he had tacked to the door with a magnet; the Change of Heart. He set his bag down at his feet and picked the card up. He ran his thumb along the smooth surface, tracing the line separating the two segments of the image. The light and the dark, making two halves of the whole. Like Yin and Yang, he thought. The cold tingled his chest again.

"Ryo!"

He jerked his head up and turned it in the direction of the voice calling out to him. He saw Yuugi wildly waving at him. Ryo smiled softly at him, and tacked the card back onto his locker. He slung his bag across himself once again and slammed the locker shut- the slam echoing through the empty hallway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ryo met Yuugi outside and quickly fell into step next to him. He noticed that Yami Yuugi was not to be seen. "Where's your Yami?" He asked Yuugi as they strode on the sidewalk.

"Hm? Oh, he was going to give us some privacy for awhile," He said as he patted the puzzle in his hands. "He's in his soul room."

"Tell him thank you from me." Ryo said, smiling and looking straight ahead of him. "Thanks again for letting me come over for a little bit. I needed the break from my house."

"No problem, Ry!" They rounded the corner and soon the Game Shop was within eyesight. "We can talk inside, okay?"

Not long after, Yuugi pushed open the door to the Game Shop, and held it open as Ryo passed him. "No one should be home; let's go upstairs."

-

Yuugi sat on his bed and patted the space next to him on it. Ryo set down his bag on the chair by the door, and sat next to Yuugi. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, not looking at him.

"So what's wrong?" Yuugi asked, putting a hand on Ryo's shoulder, encouragingly.

"Ya-.. Bakura. He's.. Not been around."

"What do you mean?" Yuugi asked, looking at the spot where Ryo's ring was. Ryo crossed his legs instead and pulled the ring out over his sweater. It shined dully in the setting sun's light that shone through the skylight and windows. Ryo held it loosely in his hand.

"I'm not sure. I just.. haven't seen him. You know how you can see your Yami? I can't see mine. I don't hear him. But I feel him, he's there."

Yuugi stretched out a hand and felt the Millennium Ring that hung around his friend's neck. He touched the metal and quickly drew his hand back, hissing. "It's freezing!" He remarked, holding his wrist and peering at the object. Ryo nodded.

His bangs fell in his face, so Yuugi couldn't see his eyes or their expression. "I can tell he's in there. I can feel the darkness in it moving and touching me occasionally," he felt his hand that had been outstretched earlier that day. "I think he's angry with me or something."

Yuugi looked with concern at his friend, who dropped the ring as if it had electrocuted him. His hair fell in his face more; covered in shadow, save for his mouth, which was slightly parted. He exhaled slowly.

"Ry,.. Even if he is, it's not the end of the world. You lasted seventeen years without him, you can last more."

"No, I can't, Yuugi." Ryo said, drawing his legs to his chest again. "He's my other half. The other half of my soul. I... need him around. Even if he abuses me. I feel like a part of me is missing."

Yuugi held his puzzle in his hand and stared at it. "I know what you mean..."

"No you don't!" Ryo exclaimed, turning to face him. "Your Yami talks to you. Touches you. Loves you even! Mine won't even TALK to me! I'd be happy with that..." Ryo looked away again to the floor. "If he would just... say something... anything. An insult. Something."

He slumped against the wall behind him. Yuugi reached out to him and hugged him tight, murmuring that things would work out. Ryo clutched Yuugi to him and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Why won't you talk to me?" He whispered. The darkness inside the ring twitched.


	2. Chapter 2

Bakura paced impatiently back and forth in his soul room of the Millennium Ring. It was a depressing place; blacks, maroons, and grays danced on the walls and formed shapes of memories. The greys swirled to knives and the shades of maroon turned to blood splatters. The objects in the room came and went frequently; tatters and holes everywhere in his broken soul.

He knotted his hands into his hair and yanked on the roots, anger in his mind as he yanked. He suddenly stopped and a clay vase appeared to his left. He picked it up and threw it with all his strength at the nearest wall, where it shattered with a haunting breaking sound, and the shards faded to nothingness.

He sighed and knelt, dropping his hands to his sides. He yelled in a rage, to clear his body of the remaining aggression. As he yelled, the maroons faded away, and the blacks melted to grays. He yelled himself out, and collapsed on the ground, face down. The colours swirled around each other, creating whites and pale blues. Bakura sighed and moved his face so his cheek was on the ground. His half-lidded eyes dully took in his surroundings, and he gave in to the sadness that washed over him.

"Troubled, Kura?" A voice called from behind him. Bakura groaned and closed his eyes, the colours on the wall fading to blacks and grays once again. He sat up, balancing his weight between his ass and his arms behind him. He faced the voice and opened his eyes, watching as Malik Ishtar materialized into his soul room.

"What does it matter?" Bakura said coldly.

Malik smirked and folded his arms. "The yelling was distracting me. A piece of my soul is in here too, you know. It was like an annoying white noise. Came to see if you needed anything, or just felt like annoying me."

"I am not in the mood for this, Ishtar." Bakura said, glaring and standing.

The smirk slid from Malik's face, genuine concern replacing it. "You're really bothered, aren't you?" Bakura growled at him. "I'll take that as a yes." Malik finished. He hesitated, then walked over to Bakura and placed a hand on his shoulder. Bakura did not throw him off, so Malik continued. "What's wrong, Kura?"

Malik could feel a low rumbling noise in his Bakura's chest; it sent vibrations up his arm. Bakura threw out his left arm and the soul room rearranged itself. Melting quickly, the room shifted from blacks to bright whites, blues, yellows, and subtle greys. A tint of pink was just barely visible.

"Oh..." Malik breathed, taking in the room.

A couch materialized and Bakura sat on it, resting his elbows on his thighs and clutching his head in his hands. "So... what does this mean?" Malik asked, wondering if he should sit next to him, or stay where he was.

Bakura looked up and glared at him. "What do you bloody think."

Malik nodded. "Does he know?" Bakura growled again and dropped his head in his hands once more. "Tell him..." Malik mumbled, not wanting to incur the wrath of a Bakura scorned.

"And what? Look weak? I'm a 5,000 year-old spirit who has witnessed more horrors than most can bloody _imagine, _and caused much more suffering in a year than you would cause in a lifetime. I'm callous. I'm unfeeling. I'm cold. I can't let some teenage kid influence me." He snarled and picked up another vase. He threw it against another wall and watched it shatter. Malik flinched and leaned away from the broken pieces to his left. A shard flew back to Bakura and he toyed with it in his hands. "I'm cutting myself off. I've lasted 5,000 years without the brat, I can last till the end of time." He finished, fisting the shard and squeezing it in anger.

"He needs you too, you know." Malik said uncomfortably.

Bakura glared at him, a question in his eyes.

"Two halves of a whole is what you two are. Go watch him. See what you do to him." Malik said. Bakura's face twitched and he let go of the shard, blood coating his scratched hand. "I've got to go. I'll be back for you later." Malik was uneasy in leaving. Bakura nodded once and he Malik faded to nothingness.

Bakura stood, eyes flashing, and let himself out of the ring.

-

He materialized as a ghostly apparition, in time to see the last few minutes of a Domino High school day. He concentrated on keeping his energy closed in the ring, so as not to alert Ryo to his presence. Bakura was behind Ryo, who didn't notice him there. He peered at the sleepy looking boy's face, which, upon closer inspection, was glazed over in thought. Bakura looked into his sad eyes and face, and wished in the back of his mind that Ryo would smile for him.

The bell rang and Bakura slunk quickly behind Ryo, invisible to all else in the room, and out of the line of sight for the pale boy. The classmates left the room and Bakura's concentration wavered at being left alone with him. His energy slowly oozed out of the ring, and he saw Ryo's eyes close.

Bakura opened his mouth to say something, and moved to the front of Ryo. Ryo reached an arm out blindly towards him, and Bakura suddenly became lost for words, staring at the hand in front of him. He acted on impulse, and took it.

Ryo gasped and Bakura quickly vanished back into the ring, pulling his energy inside it all at once with him as he went.

-

Bakura was once again in his soul room, angry with himself for vanishing. He wanted to watch him some more, without risking his presence being known. He opened a small hole in a wall of the soul room, allowing him to see out of the eye of the Millennium Ring. He saw Yuugi on his bed through a layer of clothing, and briefly wondered why they were not in the school. With a sick recollection, he recalled that time didn't flow the same in and out of the soul rooms. He was angry with himself for forgetting such an important detail, but pushed it out of his mind as he saw Ryo move from the doorway to the bed and sit there.

Bakura became agitated at such a limited view, and considered appearing again. Yuugi spoke and Bakura focused on the voice, ignoring his train of thought.

"So, what's wrong?"

Ryo was upset? Bakura opened the hole wider.

"Ya-.. Bakura. He's... Not been around." Ryo's voice said, and Bakura felt a twang of guilt in the pit of his stomach.

"What do you mean?" Yuugi's voice said. Bakura's vision became blurred as Ryo took the ring out of his sweater, and Bakura once again had a clear view of his surroundings. He was in Yuugi's room; with the sunlight coming in and blinding him momentarily until Ryo shifted the ring in his hands.

""I'm not sure. I just.. haven't seen him. You know how you can see your Yami? I can't see mine. I don't hear him. But I feel him, he's there."

The guilt intensified in his stomach; the walls of the soul room became pure black laced with dark blues.

Bakura saw Yuugi reach out for the ring and grew angry, pushing his energy around it more, to burn him with cold. Yuugi touched the ring briefly and drew his hand back, hissing. Bakura glared triumphantly. '_Mine._'

He caught the end of what Ryo had been saying, "I think he's angry with me or something."

The guilt in his stomach began to cause physical pain, and he wrapped one of his arms around his own torso.

"Ry,... Even if he is, it's not the end of the world. You lasted seventeen years without him, you can last more."

_No!_ Bakura thought wildly, not even wanting to imagine such a thing.

"No, I can't, Yuugi. He's my other half. The other half of my soul. I... need him around. Even if he abuses me. I feel like a part of me is missing."

Bakura's mouth twitched as he recognized the truth of what Ryo said, how it was true for him as well. At least he felt it too.

"I know what you mean..."

Bakura growled loudly and wished he were there so he could smack the boy.

"No you don't!" he heard Ryo exclaim. He felt a tinge of pride in his hikari at that moment.

"Your Yami talks to you. Touches you. Loves you even! Mine won't even TALK to me! I'd be happy with that... If he would just... say something... anything. An insult. Something."

Bakura closed his eyes and breathed deeply, he did not know how much he was hurting his hikari by trying to cut himself off from him.

Bakura opened his eyes to the ring's hole once more, and saw Yuugi's shirt- he was hugging Ryo. Bakura felt a pang of jealousy.

"Why won't you talk to me?" Ryo whispered.

Bakura slammed the hole shut and yelled once more.


End file.
